Stepping Stone
by sugarfreecakes
Summary: Hermione Granger finally shows her backbone to Draco Malfoy. ONESHOT. Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.


She was sick of it. Tired of seeing _him_ in the halls at work, seeing his smirk and blond hair above others' heads. She couldn't take it when he looked at her, his steely gray-blue eyes piercing her own brown ones and reminding her of days that seemed ages ago. Memories of the days that had once made her so happy, but now only made her almost mournful of them as she thought back to when everything crashed around her. She'd watched everything she'd known and love fade, while he strode on through, head held high.

She could still remember the fight they'd had. She could still hear the screamed accusations and the sobs that reverberated in her chest every time she closed her eyes. It didn't matter how much time had passed.

"_Leave me be! I -I do not want to see you!"_

"_I can't believe you would do this! You knew what was happening and you didn't care. You weren't drunk!"_

"_You could've stopped it. Stopped __**her**__."_

"_Y-you lied, you cheated… You promised."_

She could think back to the days she'd received his letters, playing friendly and wanting to know how she was. He made it out like nothing had happened. Like he was an old friend, merely curious in how her life was now that he was no longer a major part of it. All those letters he'd sent her, despite never receiving answers. He was persistent and she knew he did it for his own gain. He'd always loved to get a rise out of her, and he knew that his letters would accomplish this. She would want to respond, she _had_ wanted to respond; it had taken much effort to set quill after quill down, fighting the temptation. Only once had she ever replied, and it was after he'd offered to meet and buy her a drink at The Leaky Cauldron.

_I never want to see your face again._ She had written it quickly and sent it back with his owl. Finally she'd told him what was true. The painful reminders that his letters had given stopped. He quit owling, quit trying to reach her. Finally, peace.

Nothing had prepared her for seeing him that first day in the office. He'd made no indication of having even noticed her in the room, his eyes never even glancing her way. Surely he'd felt her presence as she had felt his. After having such a strong connection before, she was always able to tell when he stepped in the room. That first month, he never even acknowledged her. It drove her crazy, how much she longed for him to just look at her. Just once and it would be enough. But even she knew that was a lie. The brightest witch of her age couldn't hide things from herself. Once she'd be acknowledged, she'd keep going back, thirsting for more attention from him. From the man who'd once set fire to her heart and soul and didn't seem to care when the two smoldered to ashes in front of his eyes.

He'd made several small conversations with her, and she struggled every time to not say anything about their time together. She wondered if he ever really felt anything for her. If it, his "love", had been true, or just another one of his games. By using her, he'd been able to make things happen, small changes in the office at first and then bigger things. Things that had easily hoisted him up to the head of office. Hoisted him up above her, which meant he had power over her. Something that she didn't like, something she didn't want.

He only ever asked of her small, tedious tasks. She felt as if her place in the office was slipping, as if he was making her into something much less than a famous heroine and great potions maker. He was making her into his puppet, and the worse part was that she was letting him do it. She was allowing herself to be manipulated by him.

But no more. Today was the day that she'd decided enough was enough. She wouldn't let him belittle her anymore, let him have some sort of hold on her. She deserved better. He didn't want her, it was time she realized that and moved on. She'd practiced over and over what she was going to say to him when she saw him. None of it stuck with her, all of it vanishing from her mind the moment her fist made contact with the wood of his door. "Come in," he called, his voice smooth as silk from his office.

She cleared her throat before entering, closing the door behind her. She kept her hands on the knob behind her, suddenly feeling self-conscious in her burgundy robes. Her chocolate brown eyes stared straight ahead, her gaze hardened onto the man before her. He looked up, his hand pausing and setting the quill back into the ink bottle. "Well, Granger, to what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked, a smirk gracing his handsome face.

"I quit." Her voice sounded so small. She hated herself for it.

"I beg your pardon?"

She cleared her throat again. "I said, I quit." That was better, her voice was much stronger.

His left eyebrow raised in questioning. She debated silently over what to say, trying desperately to remember her small, but efficient speech she had wanted to spill. Finally she sighed, "I won't be your stepping stone anymore, Draco Malfoy."

And with that, she opened the door and walked out, leaving the blond to sit and stare after her. As she made her way down the hall, a small smile graced her lips. The first in quite a while.


End file.
